Recovery techniques in mobile networks

Abstract

A technique for protecting location information of a subscriber in a mobile network is disclosed which forwards a registration request from the subscriber to an S-CSCF including the subscriber's TA and then forwarding a location update from the S-CSCF to an HSS including the subscriber's TA. Upon the S-CSCF losing data, lost data may be restored to the S-CSCF from the data stored in the HSS. The HSS may store data in a non-volatile memory such as a hard disk drive. The technique may also include forwarding a registration request from the subscriber to an S-CSCF including the subscriber's TA and then forwarding a location update from the S-CSCF to an HSS and storing data in a non-volatile memory such as a hard disk drive in the S-CSCF so as to be protected against loss. Upon the S-CSCF losing data, lost data including the subscriber's TA may be restored to the S-CSCF from the data stored in the S-CSCF.

1. A method comprising:
 receiving a call for a subscriber at an Interrogating-Call State Control Function (I-CSCF); 
 sending a route request from the I-CSCF to a User Mobility Server (UMS); 
 receiving an address of a Server-Call State Control Function (S-CSCF) at the I-CSCF from the UMS; and 
 sending a call setup request from the I-CSCF to the S-CSCF. 
 
     
     
       2. The method of  claim 1 , wherein said sending a route request comprises querying the UMS based on an alias of the subscriber which was dialed by a party that sent the call. 
     
     
       3. The method of  claim 1 , further comprising receiving an identity of the subscriber at the I-CSCF from the UMS. 
     
     
       4. The method of  claim 3 , wherein the call setup request includes the identity of the subscriber. 
     
     
       5. The method of  claim 1 , wherein said receiving an address of a S-CSCF and said sending a call setup request are performed only if information about the S-CSCF stored in the UMS is valid. 
     
     
       6. The method of  claim 5 , further comprising, in response to the information about the S-CSCF stored in the UMS being invalid, receiving a home address of the subscriber at the I-CSCF from the UMS and sending the home address to a home agent corresponding to the home address of the subscriber. 
     
     
       7. A method comprising:
 receiving a call setup request for a subscriber at a Serving-Call State Control Function (S-CSCF); 
 sending a route request from the S-CSCF to a User Mobility Server (UMS); 
 receiving a home address of the subscriber at the S-CSCF from the UMS; and 
 sending the call setup request from the S-CSCF to a home agent at the home address of the subscriber. 
 
     
     
       8. The method of  claim 7 , wherein the call setup request includes a subscriber identity associated with the subscriber. 
     
     
       9. The method of  claim 8 , wherein said sending a route request comprises querying the UMS based on the subscriber identity. 
     
     
       10. The method of  claim 7 , wherein the route request is configured to trigger a download to the S-CSCF of information associated with the subscriber. 
     
     
       11. The method of  claim 10 , wherein said sending a route request includes an indication to the UMS that the S-CSCF does not have a care of address of the subscriber. 
     
     
       12. The method of  claim 7 , further comprising receiving a registration request at the S-CSCF from the subscriber after said sending the call setup request. 
     
     
       13. The method of  claim 7 , wherein said sending the call setup request comprises sending the call setup request to a care of address of the subscriber. 
     
     
       14. A tangible computer-readable medium having instructions stored thereon, the instructions comprising:
 instructions for receiving a call for a subscriber at an Interrogating-Call State Control Function (I-CSCF); 
 instructions for sending a route request from the I-CSCF to a User Mobility Server (UMS); 
 instructions for receiving an address of a Server-Call State Control Function (S-CSCF) at the I-CSCF from the UMS; and 
 instructions for sending a call setup request from the I-CSCF to the S-CSCF. 
 
     
     
       15. The tangible computer-readable medium of  claim 14 , wherein said instructions for sending a route request comprises instructions for querying the UMS based on an alias of the subscriber which was dialed by a party that sent the call. 
     
     
       16. The tangible computer-readable medium of  claim 14 , further comprising instructions for receiving an identity of the subscriber at the I-CSCF from the UMS. 
     
     
       17. The tangible computer-readable medium of  claim 16 , wherein the call setup request includes the identity of the subscriber. 
     
     
       18. The tangible computer-readable medium of  claim 14 , wherein said instructions for receiving an address of a S-CSCF and said instructions for sending a call setup request are executed only if information about the S-CSCF stored in the UMS is valid. 
     
     
       19. The tangible computer-readable medium of  claim 18 , further comprising instructions for receiving a home address of the subscriber at the I-CSCF from the UMS and instructions for sending the home address to a home agent corresponding to the home address of the subscriber. 
     
     
       20. A tangible computer-readable medium having instructions stored thereon, the instructions comprising:
 instructions for receiving a call setup request for a subscriber at a Serving-Call State Control Function (S-CSCF); 
 instructions for sending a route request from the S-CSCF to a User Mobility Server (UMS); 
 instructions for receiving a home address of the subscriber at the S-CSCF from the UMS; and 
 instructions for sending the call setup request from the S-CSCF to a home agent at the home address of the subscriber. 
 
     
     
       21. The tangible computer-readable medium of  claim 20 , wherein the call setup request includes a subscriber identity associated with the subscriber. 
     
     
       22. The tangible computer-readable medium of  claim 21 , wherein said instructions for sending a route request comprises instructions for querying the UMS based on the subscriber identity. 
     
     
       23. The tangible computer-readable medium of  claim 20 , wherein the route request is configured to trigger a download to the S-CSCF of information associated with the subscriber. 
     
     
       24. The tangible computer-readable medium of  claim 20 , wherein the route request includes an indication to the UMS that the S-CSCF does not have a care of address of the subscriber. 
     
     
       25. The tangible computer-readable medium of  claim 20 , further comprising instructions for receiving a registration request at the S-CSCF from the subscriber. 
     
     
       26. The tangible computer-readable medium of  claim 20 , wherein said instructions for sending the call setup request comprises instructions for sending the call setup request to a care of address of the subscriber. 
     
     
       27. A system comprising:
 an Interrogating-Call State Control Function (I-CSCF) configured to:
 receive a call for a subscriber; 
 send a first route request to a User Mobility Server (UMS); 
 receive an address of a Server-Call State Control Function (S-CSCF) from the UMS; and 
 send a call setup request to the S-CSCF; and 
 
 the S-CSCF configured to:
 receive the call setup request from the I-CSCF; 
 send a second route request to the UMS; 
 receive a home address of the subscriber from the UMS; and 
 send the call setup request to a home agent at the home address of the subscriber. 
 
 
     
     
       28. The system of  claim 27 , wherein the I-CSCF is further configured to query the UMS based on an alias of the subscriber which was dialed by a party that sent the call. 
     
     
       29. The system of  claim 27 , wherein the I-CSCF is further configured to receive an identity of the subscriber from the UMS. 
     
     
       30. The system of  claim 29 , wherein the call setup request includes the identity of the subscriber. 
     
     
       31. The system of  claim 30 , wherein the S-CSCF is further configured to query the UMS based on the identity of the subscriber. 
     
     
       32. The system of  claim 27 , wherein the I-CSCF is configured to receive the address of the S-CSCF and to send the call setup request to the S-CSCF only if information about the S-CSCF stored in the UMS is valid. 
     
     
       33. The system of  claim 32 , wherein the I-CSCF is further configured to, in response to the information about the S-CSCF stored in the UMS being invalid, receive a home address of the subscriber from the UMS and send the home address to the home agent corresponding to the home address of the subscriber. 
     
     
       34. The system of  claim 27 , wherein the second route request is configured to trigger a download to the S-CSCF of information associated with the subscriber. 
     
     
       35. The system of  claim 34 , wherein the second route request includes an indication to the UMS that the S-CSCF does not have a care of address of the subscriber. 
     
     
       36. The system of  claim 27 , wherein the S-CSCF is further configured to receive a registration request at the S-CSCF from the subscriber. 
     
     
       37. The system of  claim 27 , wherein the S-CSCF is further configured to send the call setup request to a care of address of the subscriber. 
     
     
       38. The system of  claim 27 , further comprising the home agent, wherein the home agent is configured to receive the call setup request from the S-CSCF and forward the call setup request to a care of address of the subscriber.